Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
Recent Agreement With Mexico Will Alleviate Border Crisis, but Further Reforms Needed for Long-Term Solution
After a week of negotiations, the U.S. and Mexico came to a landmark deal on addressing the Central American migration crisis. If implemented correctly, it could usher in a new era of joint action in addressing illegal immigration. With this new agreement, the U.S. and Mexico now have an operational framework for bilateral and individual… -
opinion
How Occupational Licensing Reform Helps Women
Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed into law a bill that makes the Grand Canyon State the nation’s first to broadly recognize occupational licenses from other states for people licensed for at least a year in another state. The change is a win for working women and everyone who wants the option of moving… -
opinion
Why Kamala Harris’ ‘Equal Pay’ Proposal Will Hurt, Not Help Women
Sen. Kamala Harris’ recent “equal pay certification” proposal self-identifies as the “be-all, end-all” for what the left claims is a gender wage gap. But according to conclusive studies and economic research, the California Democrat’s idea is actually a direct path down a nasty road of privacy violations and limited opportunities in the workforce for women…. -
opinion
When the Chips Are Down, Never Bet Against the US Army
Friday, June 14 is the U.S. Army’s 244th birthday. Since it was born in 1775, even before the birth of the nation itself, the Army has always responded to fight our wars, provide disaster support, build dams and levees, enforce desegregation, and help partner nations develop their own armies. The history of the Army is… -
opinion
Terrorist Plotted Attack on Times Square Before Arrest
Authorities arrested Ashiqual Alam last week for planning a terrorist attack against Times Square in New York City. This is the 111th Islamist terror plot or attack against the U.S. homeland since 9/11, and the 98th to be a homegrown plot. Alam is a 22-year-old native of Bangladesh who had been living in Queens, New… -
opinion
Elites Have No One to Blame for Populism but Themselves
What is going on with the unending Brexit drama, the aftershocks of Donald Trump’s election, and the “yellow vests” protests in France? What drives the growing estrangement of southern and eastern Europe from the European Union establishment? What fuels the anti-EU themes of recent European elections and the stunning recent Australian re-election of conservatives? Put… -
news
Texas Governor Signs Bill Defending Chick-Fil-A
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Monday state legislation to protect the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A from discrimination. The legislation—Senate Bill 1978, dubbed the “Save Chick-fil-A” bill—specifically prohibits local governments in the state “from retaliating against anyone based on their affiliation or support of a religious organization,” according to KEYE-TV, the CBS affiliate in Austin,… -
opinion
Teen’s Sad End Suggests New Standard in Accepting ‘Right to Die’
The apparent suicide of a teen in the Netherlands who said she chose to die rather than endure the trauma of being sexually assaulted and raped is a stark example of the continuing deterioration of the sanctity of life. Noa Pothoven, who was 17, told followers on Instagram that she would end her life. “Love… -
opinion
Why Volkswagen Workers Should Be Wary of Unionizing
More than 1,700 Volkswagen Chattanooga workers will head to the polls Wednesday through Friday this week to vote on a consequential measure: whether or not to unionize. A recent New York Times article should come as a warning sign to Volkswagen workers. The article depicts Rick Marsh, a longtime GM worker in Ohio, as despondent… -
news
Maine Will Allow Non-Doctors to Perform Abortions
Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill Monday permitting non-doctors to perform abortions in Maine. The law will allow physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to perform abortions, according to a press release from Mills’ office. “Allowing qualified and licensed medical professionals to perform abortions will ensure that Maine women, especially those in rural areas,… -
opinion
Mass Homelessness Exposes California’s Political Dysfunction
California’s great wealth only masks its increasing dysfunction. Nothing highlights this quite like the explosion of homelessness in the Golden State. By any measure, California’s homelessness crisis is reaching epic proportions. There are now nearly 60,000 homeless people living in Los Angeles County, a 12% increase from the previous year, according to the Los Angeles… -
opinion
A Win for the Rule of Law Over Fake Racist Narratives
For those who despair that the rule of law in America is being crushed by liberal fake news, we have encouraging news out of Ohio. A jury has ruled that Oberlin College, one of the nation’s most left-wing institutions of higher learning, must pay the proprietors of Gibson’s Bakery in Oberlin, Ohio, $11.2 million in… -
opinion
How Big Government Destroys Friendships
We are living in a time of increasing domestic tension. Some of it stems from the presidency of Donald Trump. Another part of it is various advocacy groups on both sides of the political spectrum demanding one cause or another. But nearly totally ignored is how growing government control over our lives, along with the… -
opinion
This Congressman Just Went to the Border. Here’s What He Learned.
Visiting the Texas-Mexico border, Rep. Michael Cloud saw what it was really like on the ground for Border Patrol agents, what the drug cartels were taking advantage of, and how secure the border actually is. The Texas Republican also visited an unaccompanied minors facility—and found out that around 40% of the girls there had been… -
opinion
How Trump’s Women’s Initiative Advances ‘America First’ Agenda
You may not hear much in the media about it, but the Trump administration just announced a new initiative to support efforts to empower women worldwide. It’s yet another example of how “America First” means advancing what matters to America. In this case, it means “protecting the United States and promoting global peace and stability… -
opinion
Leftism Makes People Meaner: Reflections on the Torture of Paul Manafort
The sadistic treatment of Paul Manafort illustrates something I have believed since I attended graduate school in the 1970s and saw the behavior of left-wing students: Leftism makes people meaner. There are kind and mean conservatives and kind and mean liberals. Neither liberalism nor conservatism makes people kinder or meaner. But this is not the… -
news
House Democrats Appeal Court Ruling That Rejected Their Bid to Stop Trump’s Wall
House Democrats asked the D.C. Court of Appeals on Monday to review a judge’s decision rejecting their request to block Defense Department funding for wall construction on the U.S.-Mexico border. “The House respectfully disagrees with the Court’s standing decision, but the parties are in agreement that there is no need for any further proceedings or… -
opinion
Bill to Ban Flamethrowers Is a Solution in Search of a Problem
For the third Congress in a row, Rep. Eliot Engel has reintroduced his Flamethrowers? Really? Act, which serves no purpose other than to highlight Congress’ overcriminalization problem. The bill would make it a crime to own or transfer a flamethrower. When the New York Democrat last introduced the bill in 2018, it attracted attention because… -
opinion
Pray for the President Even If You Didn’t Vote for Him
Only the most partisan person would begrudge prayers for the president of the United States, but a recent visit by President Donald Trump to the mega McLean Bible Church in Virginia has rubbed some congregants the wrong way. The White House informed the church with only a few minutes notice that the president would be… -
opinion
Why Bans on Plastic Bags and Straws Are Annoying and Overrated
Canada, following precedent set by the European Union, is poised to join a growing list of places where single-use plastic items have been banned. Though the government hasn’t specified which items will actually be outlawed in 2021, according to The Guardian, “bottles, plastic bags, and straws” are being considered. First, they came for the bags….